Hamburg 1986
Cats had its German premiere in Hamburg on 11th April 1986. It played there for almost 15 years, closing on 28 January 2001. Cats was the first commercial musical production in Germany, followed by shows like The Phantom of the Opera and Starlight Express. Production Specifics The Hamburg production was loosely based on the same team's 1985 Australian production, not the comparatively local German-language Vienna Production. The costumes had their own version of John Napier's original design; Alonzo's costume was brown and black and Sillabub's costume was golden (it became red/purple soon after the release of the video). Also the make-up and wig designs were completely unique. The Hamburg version of the show was much brighter and more cheerful than the productions in London and Vienna. The size of the cast (22 cats) and the names of the cats (Sillabub, Pouncival, Tumblebrutus, Genghis/Dschingis) were based on the Broadway production. Although there had already been a translation by Michael Kunze for the 1983 Vienna production of the show, the whole musical was re-translated because of copyright reasons. Hamburg used the HH Nap 9 set that was designed to fit this particular theatre. Creative Team *Director: David Taylor (after Trevor Nunn) *Artistic Director: Sabine Grohmann *Choreographer: Jo-Anne Robinson (after Gillian Lynne) *Assistant to Jo-Anne Robinson: Lynnda Curry *Musical Supervisor: Stanley Lebowsky *Set Designer: Raymond Huessy *Set Design Assistant: Robert Berg *Lighting Design: David Hersey *Lighting Design Assistant: Rick Belzer *Sound Design: Martin Levan *Sound Design Assistant: Graham Carmichael *Costume Supervisor: Alison Todd *Resident Director: Terry Robinson *Musical Director: John Baer *Translation: Sabine Grohmann, John Baer, Marc Henning The Theatre Cats played at the Operettenhaus in Hamburg. Cats was the first success in this theatre after a long time. After Cats closed in 2001, the theatre was extensively re-modelled. Cast [[Hamburg 1986/Casts|'Further Hamburg Casts']] Gallery 1986 Gumbie Cat hamburg 86.jpg Tugger Girls hamburg 86.jpg Plato Vic Silla Rumple De86.png Bomba Deme hamburg 86.jpg Victoria Barbara Waldele mask.jpg|Barbara Wäldele as Victoria, 1986 Hamburg 1987 Ethan Freeman Asparagus.jpg|Ethan Freeman as Asparagus, 1987 Hamburg 1987 Ethan Freeman Bustopher.jpg|Ethan Freeman as Bustopher, 1987 Hamburg 89 rumpleteazer louise fribo.jpg|Louise Fribo as Rumple, 1989 1990 De90 Cast.jpg Alonzo Warren Carlyle Hamburg 90 1.jpg Pouncival Jimmy Jillebo Hamburg 90.jpg Tumble Stewart Crowley Hamburg.jpg August 1991 De9108 Macavity Hans Kriefall.png De9108 Tugger Steven Breese.png De9108 Sillabub Bethany Samuelson.png De9108 Tantomile Nicola Humphrey.png 1992 De9204 Alonzo David Meinke.png De9204 Bombalurina Cristina Grimandi.png Demeter Deborah Spellman Hamburg 10 1992.jpg De9204 Pouncival Dino Di Iorio.png De9204 Sillabub Stephanie Spellman.png Jenny Patty Jamieson Hamburg 04 92.jpg Deuteronomy Alton Spencer Hamburg 10 92.jpg Mungojerrie Eddie Marco Hamburg 10 92.jpg Rumpleteazer Cindy Timms Hamburg 9210.jpg Macavity Derrik Harris Hamburg 10 92 2.jpg Munkustrap Tommie Jenkins Hamburg 10 92.jpg 1993 Portraits re-printed from earlier photoshoots. Bombalurina Heike Kloss Hamburg 93.jpg Coricopat Raymond Chai Hamburg 93.jpg Griddlebone Valentina Kozhanova Hamburg 93.jpg Grizabella Theresa Pitt De93.jpg De93 Cast.jpg Mungojerrie (1993 Hamburg) - Markus Giess.jpg 1996 De96 Cast.jpg Misto supporting roles Hamburg 1996.jpg Gus Jelly 1 Hamburg 1996.jpg Victoria simone delarue Hamburg 96.jpg|Simone de la Rue as Victoria, 1996 Vic Misto simone delarue ben tyrrell clean.jpg|Simone de la Rue as Victoria, 1996 1997 Gumbie Munkus Hamburg 1997.jpg Mungo Rumple Hamburg 1997 3.jpg Gus Jelly Nancy Leach Hamburg 1997.jpg Bomba Deme Hamburg 1997 2.jpg Hamburg Victoria 1.jpg|Monica Violetti as Victoria, 1998 Munkus Hamburg Partridge.jpg |John Partridge as Munkustrap, 1998 Rumple Adrianne Richards 1999.jpg|Adrianne Richards as Rumple, 1999 Undated Hamburg set.png Tugger Hamburg 1.jpg Tugger Tee Jaye hamburg 1.jpg|Tee Jaye as Tugger Deut Hamburg cedric cannon 2.jpg Griddle Hamburg Nancy Leach 1.jpg Griddle Hamburg Nancy Leach 2.jpg Griddlebone crew Hamburg.jpg Group girls Hamburg.jpg Skimble Tumble Mungo Alonzo 2.jpg Skimble ensemble Hamburg.jpg Bomba Deme Girls Hamburg 1.jpg Bomba Deme Girls Hamburg 2.jpg Bomba Deme Hamburg 1.jpg Demeter Alonzo Hamburg.jpg Griz Vic Hamburg.jpg Finale Hamburg 0.jpg Art Hamburg art Alonzo.jpg Hamburg art Bomba 1.jpg Hamburg art Bomba 2.jpg Hamburg art Bustopher.jpg Hamburg art Cass.jpg Hamburg art Coricopat.jpg Hamburg art Demeter.jpg Hamburg art deut.png Hamburg art Babygriz.jpg Hamburg art Griz.jpg Hamburg art Gus.jpg Hamburg art Jenny Basic.jpg Hamburg art Gumbiecat.jpg Hamburg art Jennyanydots.jpg Hamburg art Macavity.jpg Hamburg art Misto.jpg Hamburg art Mungojerrie.jpg Hamburg art munk.png Hamburg art plato.png Hamburg art pounce.png Hamburg art rumple 2.png Hamburg art rumple.png Hamburg art silla.png Hamburg art skimble.png Hamburg art tugger.png Hamburg art tant.png Hamburg art tant 2.png Hamburg art tumble.png Hamburg art vic.png Hamburg art Peke.jpg Hamburg art Pollicle.jpg Hamburg art Growltiger.jpg Hamburg art Griddlebone.jpg Hamburg art Crew Tugger.jpg Hamburg art Crew Munkus.jpg Hamburg art Crew Misto.jpg Hamburg art Crew Skimble.jpg Hamburg art siamese.png Videos CATS - Die Gumbie-Katze (Kaatje Dierks - Hamburg Cast)|TV performance, 1990 CATS - Hamburg 1986 - Macavity (Sabine Hettlich & Charlotta Thorell)|Original Cast, 1986 (Sabine Hettlich & Charlotta Thorell) Trivia *In 1996, the Hamburg cast staged a drag parody of the show for a special in-house event, with the female performers playing the male characters and vice versa. Catstastrophy Highlights|1996 Hamburg drag performance Category:Productions